13 dead in Colombian riots sparked by death of man tased by police enforcing social distancing rules

Deadly riots broke out in Colombia following the death of a man repeatedly tased by police, who say they were responding to reports of a group drinking and violating coronavirus social distancing restrictions.

According to Reuters, a video filmed by the victim's friend was heavily shared on social media prior to the riots. The video showed him "repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by police."

The victim, Javier Ordóñez, 46, told the police, "enough please, enough, no more, please" and said he was choking. He died after the incident at a hospital.

CBS News reported that Ordoñez was "drinking alcohol in the street with others, which was in violation of social distancing rules designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus." An investigation is reportedly underway, and the officers involved in the incident are not on duty. 

The death sparked riots across Bogota, the capital, Soacha as well as Medellin, resulting in 13 deaths and more than 240 injured. According to press reports, about 60 police stations have been vandalized, and 8 buses were burned.

The United States has experienced violent protests and riots in major cities following the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police. A bystander's video of an officer kneeling on Floyd's neck went viral on social media prior to the large-scale protests. The officer has been charged with murder.

The U.S. has helped train Colombian police officers over the years. According to a report from The Intercept in 2016, Colombia is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign police training. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have helped train Colombian National Police (CNP) officers in Bogota. According to ICE, the training program "focused on issues such as sensitive investigations, corruption, integrity and internal affairs investigative techniques."